BEAVER TOWNSHIP — Over the past seven decades, John Mang has officiated area high school, college and sandlot sports, also serving as the assigner of game day officials for scholastic conferences, leagues and independent schools needing arbiters for baseball, basketball, football, softball, and boys and girls volleyball.

He has held various offices in the Mahoning Valley Umpires Association over his 44 years as a member and has been commissioner of four different leagues – Tri-County League, Inter-County League, Federal League (co-commissioner) and his current position as commissioner of the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference – since 1989.

He has worked closely with a multitude of athletic directors and has witnessed, first-hand, the ever-changing landscape of athletics.

“Officials are better prepared in all sports with on-line training and mentoring now available by local associations,” Mang told the Curbstone Coaches during Monday’s meeting at Avion Banquet Center. “Going back to local associations for direct training of new officials, however, would be most beneficial.”

Mang feels local school districts should have more input when changes are implemented by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

“The OHSAA should have their district’s more involved when major decisions are being made,” Mang added. “One executive board in Columbus shouldn’t have the power to make major changes without a vote by superintendents from all Ohio schools. One example is changing their assigning program to another program that wasn’t ready for AD’s and assignors. The previous program was liked by officials, local association secretaries, AD’s and school treasurers but was changed by an executive board.”

He said more women have ascended to the top of their athletic administration through hard work and determination.

Four area women who serve as athletic directors at their respective schools – Andrea Ferenac (Howland), Abbey Fishtorn (Jackson-Milton), Erin Heasley (Columbiana) and Nancy Knight (Struthers) – accompanied Mang, telling the group about their administrative journey and challenges.

Ferenac earned both her bachelor’s and Masters in education degrees from YSU, teaching high school science and chemistry before becoming the Tigers’ activities director, a post she has held for the past 10 years.

“The pride and passion I have for Howland runs deep and I consider it a privilege to be part of something so meaningful,” Ferenac said. “I firmly believe that you are only as good as the people around you and I am surrounded by incredible individuals. We have great coaches, advisors, teachers, administrators, a supportive board of education, boosters families and a committed community.

“Even when we face challenges, one thing we always have in common is our unwavering care for the kids and the overall well-being of our school community. This shared commitment is what helps us overcome obstacles and continue to strive for excellence, both in the classroom and in extracurriculars. I am truly proud of what we accomplish together and am excited to see what the future holds for Howland.”

Fishtorn, who is in her third year as head of Blue Jays athletics, earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Mount Union and has her Masters from the University of Baltimore.

She is also a part-time professor at YSU in the psychology department, a position she has held for the last 14 years.

“Wearing many hats keeps me very busy because being an AD is a 24-7-365 day a year job,” she said. “Athletes are feeling the pressure to specialize and play a particular sport all year around instead of being multi-sport, well-rounded athletes. Small schools especially feel the effects of that strategy because of their low numbers. An example is girls basketball in our area, which seems to be taking a big hit lately as girls are choosing to play club volleyball or indoor softball instead of basketball.”

Heasley, who has her BS degree from YSU and MA from Ohio University, has been the full-time AD at Columbiana since 2018.

Change remains the one constant athletically.

“Columbiana has added several new sports since I began working in the athletic department,” Heasley said. “The OHSAA has implemented competitive balance and added to the number of tournament divisions for most sports. I would like to see the OHSAA make changes to the post-season tournament for all sports by creating a tournament for public schools and a separate tournament for private schools.”

Knight, who is in her 12th year as Wildcats’ AD, earned her undergraduate degree from YSU and holds a Masters from Kent State in sports administration.

“Being a female in this field is quite challenging,” she said. “While there are more females taking on these roles, it is still a heavily male-dominated position. The greatest accomplishment is gaining the respect of fellow AD’s, both male and female alike. Regardless of the gender, we can understand the requirements and stressors of the job and empathize with day to day challenges.

“Athletic involvement in youth sports, AAU, club and intramural or travel teams, while originally designed for skill improvement, has given students and parents a false sense of competitive ability and skewed school sport expectations. I also believe that many athletes may be ‘burned out’ before they ever get to their varsity sport experience. Participation in school sports is not a priority or dedication but often based on convenience.”

Mang said all four women are among the absolute best athletic administrators that he has worked with over the years.

“All four women are solid athletic directors,” he added. “Their administrative skills are excellent and their communication of everyday athletic issues tremendous.”

Next Monday, Ty Petrey of YSU’s Penguin Collective, NIL, will serve as guest speaker.